Leaders we've all been through a few storms these past couple of years and none of us are sure that they're even over. So how do we deal with feelings of anxiety, loneliness, anger, and even fear? Listen in as we talk with Jarrett Stephens, Senior Pastor at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, TX, as he shares his insights on how to be focused and energized in leadership.
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In this episode:
- Share with us how you approached your career transition and a few thoughts on shepherding your church during this unique season (02:56)
- Pray, observe the walls, and talk to the people. Preach and love people (05:03)
- Recent research into church trends in America indicates that some of the people who stopped coming to church during the pandemic are not coming back. This can be very discouraging to church leaders in congregations of all sizes. Pastors may find it hard to get energized and lead well when it seems like people are not responding or connecting. What are your thoughts on how a local pastor and congregation can move forward with a refreshed vision to reach their community in this new season of ministry? (06:07)
- Spending time alone with the Lord (06:47)
- Always go back to the definition of faithfulness (07:15)
- Leaders must take care of themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually (07:58)
- The subtitle of your recent book The Always God is - He Hasn't Changed and You Are Not Forgotten. What is it about this particular message of an unchanging God who knows us that resonates with this generation of church leaders (08:44)
- "In our culture today everything is changing" (09:02)
- "God doesn’t change. The fact that God is consistent is powerful" (09:25)
- In your book The Always God, you talk about how important it is to hear from God, even in seasons of unanswered prayers or when it seems that God is silent. If we are honest, we all go through these seasons of feeling like God is silent or maybe not even particularly engaged in our lives. What have you found to be the most important truths and practices to focus on during a season when God seems silent in your life or ministry? (10:32)
- "God does things in the waiting times of life that he'll never do in any other season of life."(11:29)
- "Trials and waiting times conform us to the image of Christ and purify our faith more than any other thing in life." (11:44)
- You also talk about how God calms the anxious. Anxiety is such a huge issue in our culture now. As you addressed anxiety, you reminded us of the account of a storm in Matthew 14 — it seems that Jesus knew the storm was coming and still sent the disciples out on the lake! You describe how our anxious moments include times when it seems like God led us into a mess. How can we as modern disciples learn to trust God in the midst of the storms and messes of life? What spiritual pat at 3:00 am do we need to incorporate into our lives to deal with anxiety? (13:23)
- If you're going through anxiety, God will come to you in the toughest hour of the night. He will come speaking a word of encouragement (15:17)
- Loneliness is another area you address in your book. You describe how we are made in the image of God – we are made for relationships. God never meant for us to be lonely – because we were created to do life in a community. And yet particularly for leaders, loneliness can be an issue that haunts them, and can also result in unhealthy behaviors. What would you say today to a pastor or Christian leader who is struggling with loneliness? (18:28)
- There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely (19:09)
- Make sure that the engine that is driving your life is facts (20:40).
- we’ve talked about anxiety and loneliness. Let’s hit one more that you address in your book. Anger. As you were working on that chapter you mentioned reading a headline that stated, “Americans are living in a big ‘anger incubator.’” Of course, it is easy to see this anger play out on social media and in the news. Jesus addresses anger in the Sermon on the Mount and calls it murder. How do we lead our people and deal with our own hearts in the midst of this angry environment? (21:30)
- Let’s hit one more that you address in your book. Anger. As you were working on that chapter you mentioned reading a headline that stated, “Americans are living in a big ‘anger incubator.’” Of course, it is easy to see this anger play out on social media and in the news. Jesus addresses anger in the Sermon on the Mount and calls it murder. How do we lead our people and deal with our own hearts in the midst of this angry environment? (21:37)
- "The only answer to anger from a scriptural point is forgiveness. If we don't deal with our anger it will eat us up and it will ruin our lives." (22:37)
- This summer I walked the Portuguese Camino, and each morning I would hold the day out to God, not knowing who I would encounter on that day. Each evening I could see how God had worked in so many conversations and connections. Of course, walking the Camino is a particularly focused experience. How do you keep your focus on God and his presence and activity in your daily experiences of life? What spiritual practices are foundational to you in your daily life? (25:13)
- Morning time with God. "Hour of power." (25:55)
Additional Resources
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